media and culture
queer
Gamut 1 is Cape Town-based non-profit organisation that uses media, art and culture to develop inclusive social values in local and global communities for the promotion of queer and trans human rights and wellbeing.
Gamut 1 envisions a queer-inclusive, rights-based society in which individual members are engaged, active, empowered and compassionate agents in their own lives, who build a supportive, inclusive environment for all members of their society.
To achieve this, Gamut 1’s mission is to create high-quality, queer-focused, rights-based, educational media which aims to develop inclusive social values and empathy in local and global audiences for the promotion of LGBTQIA+ human rights and health as declared in South African and International Human Rights Law.
Gamut 1 develops cultural programmes and training workshop and for queer and trans youth and communities as mechanisms for safety, resistance, and economic empowerment. Through these programmes, we reclaim our histories, foster wellness, build community, and create sustainable futures.
We are dedicated to conducting ongoing research to better understand and strengthen the impact of our work and projects. Using an Action Research and Learning approach, research, monitoring and evaluation are integrated in all aspects of the organisation’s work, providing for continuous learning and adaption of our strategies to maximise our advocacy.
Media
Using high-quality, queer-focused, rights-based media, we develop inclusive social values and empathy in local and local audiences for the promotion of LGBTQIA+ human rights and wellbeing.
Culture
Our cultural programmes and training workshops create inclusive and educational spaces for safety, resistance, and empowerment.
Research
We conduct ongoing research to measure the influence and impact of our work, using both quantitative and qualitative data to better understand the power of storytelling to activate social change.
Empathy
Employing strategic experiential and storytelling elements and techniques, we evoke emotional engagement in our programmes, transforming audiences from passive observers into active participants. This is how we change hearts and minds.
Self-Efficacy
We build self-efficacy — a person’s ability to engage with and make choices about and for themselves, to change their attitudes and behaviour. This is how we change societies.
“I believe that telling our stories, first to ourselves and then to one another and the world, is a revolutionary act. It is an act that can be met with hostility, exclusion, and violence. It can also lead to love, understanding, transcendence, and community. I hope that my being real with you will help empower you to step into who you are and encourage you to share yourself with those around you.”